Starting pitcher Coty Franklin tossed seven scoreless innings to lead the Hope College baseball team to a split in the series finale at Franklin, Indiana on Saturday.

The Flying Dutchmen (2-1 overall) won the nightcap 7-1 behind Franklin's five-hit effort that answered their foe's 5-2 win in the first game of the day.

Franklin (1-0) struck out six. The senior from Vermontville, Michigan (Maple Valley HS) was making his first appearance of the season.

Designated hitter Luke Brower of Holland, Michigan (Holland Christian HS) and shortstop Brady VanderWeele of Kalamazoo, Michigan (Parchment HS) fueled Hope's 14-hit support of its pitcher with three hits apiece.

VanderWeele started the scoring with a RBI single in the first that knocked in third baseman Nicholas Lepore of Clinton Township, Michigan (Warren De La Salle HS).

Brower cracked a two-run triple to spark a three-run fifth that pushed the Flying Dutchmen ahead 4-0.  First baseman Landon Brower of Holland, Michigan (Holland Christian HS) and rightfielder JP Batts of Spring Lake, Michigan (Spring Lake HS) scored.

Brower also doubled twice during the game.

Centerfielder Jonathan Sojka of Glen Ellyn, Illinois (Glenbard West HS) hit a RBI triple in the seventh and scored on Lepore's single.

Catcher Nick Glowacki of Goodrich, Michigan (Goodrich HS) had a run-single single in the ninth to plate pinch-hitter Ben De Ritter of Jenison, Michigan (Jenison HS).

In Game 2, Hope could not overcome a 3-0 deficit after a two-run sixth for the Grizzlies.

Leftfielder Ryan Konkle of Marshall, Michigan (Marshall HS) knocked in both the Flying Dutchmen runs with a sixth-inning groundout that plated Batts and a ninth-inning double that brought in pinch-hitter Bradley Kotenko of Macomb, Michigan (Lutheran North HS). 

Hope returns to action on Friday, March 18 with a doubleheader against Trinity, Connecticut in Winter Haven, Florida beginning at 1:30 p.m.